QUID 2017, pp. 1708-1715, Special Issue N°1- ISSN: 1692-343X, Medellín-Colombia “QUALITIES OF SHI’ISM ENTRANCE TO SISTAN” (Recibido 05-06-2017. Aprobado el 07-09-2017) Mohammad reza pordeli Zohreh Shahramiyan member of Zabol University Department of History, Studying the history of the Zabol University Zabol, Iran Abstract.Sistan was regarded as one of the most important states in the ancient Iran. The region was one of the widest and the most significant states in ancient Iran and it had always attracted the attention of the governors and rulers in political, economical and religious terms in the course of history to the extent that some heirs apparent were sent there to be reared and prepared for governorship. With the advent of Islam and the dispersion of Arabs in Iran after Nahavand War, Sistan was also invaded by the Arabs and it was captured at the time of the second and the third caliphs and the Islam’s seeds were sown in the area and Islam rapidly infiltrated among the people of the region. Since the Imamate of Imam Ali (Peace be upon him) and with the birth of various sects in the religion of Islam, Sistan drew the attentions of various sects’ followers who used it to promote their own sect and for living due to its being far from the caliphate capital. In the meantime, Sistan’s people more warmly welcomed Shi’ism and very soon they became the stubborn sponsors of this religious stream to the extent that they resisted the pressures of anti-Shiites rulers and governors in more than one occasion and they were the initiators of protests and rebellion in support of the Shiites Keywords: Iran, Islam, Shi’ism, Sistan Citar, estilo APA: Pordeli, M. & Shahramiyan, Z. (2017). “Qualities of shi’ism entrance to sistan”. Revista QUID (Special Issue), 1708-1715 1. INTRODUCTION Farahroud River and another river that came from Esfazar and it is now called “Haroudroud”. During Sistan’s people have long been the religious the medieval centuries, the single chair of the district followers of monotheistic and ethical beliefs. With capital has always been belonged to the city “Zaranj” the Arabs’ entrance to the region and their efforts for (Lestereng, 1958: 359-3960). Quoting Estakhri, expanding the Islam’s rites in the conquered Sistan’s cities were Zalagh, Karkouyeh, Zaranj, territories, Sistan, like the other spots in Iran, was Rosht, Basurd and Ghaznayn, (Estakhri, no date, quickly absorbed to this novel religion due to its 39). Sistan has been given various names during the monotheistic religious background and the people long course of history including Zabul, Zavel, therein accepted Islam during the very first months DEranja and Zarneka (Shahraki, 2014: 15). And, and years of Islam. quoting Lestereng, “this climate in this region is relatively warm, it constantly blows severely in there But, with the creation of various sects in Islam, and the masses of sand are displaced from here to especially after the Imamate period of Imam Ali there and the buildings and the farms are (Peace be upon him), and with the creation of occasionally destroyed in sandstorms” (Lesterneg, Shi’ism stream that highly emphasized on Imam Ali 1958: 362). The author of the book “Ehya’a Al- (Peace be upon him)’s conduct in serving social Moluk” writes: “in the 11th Hegira Century, Sistan justice and parity, it attracted the attention of the borders were stretched from Kashmir to the Sistan’s people for many reasons and the people shorelines of Indian sea and its western border there, even with the great deal of dissidence to its reached to Kerman and its northern section was growth, rapidly became the supporters of Shi’ism bordered by Sabzevar and Harat and its southern part and since that time up to the rise of Safavids who was enclosed by a line water border, the Sind River” paved the way for the authentication of Shi’ism in (Sistani, 2010: 18); in addition, Tabari has also Iran, Sistan has been one of the important Shi’ism stated that Sistan has been larger and more important centers in Iran. that Khurasan and it was encompassed by Sind River and Balkh River” (Tabari, 1973: 2015). Therefore, The present article tries to mention a history of according to the various writings by the historians Sistan’s status and the beliefs held by the people and geographers regarding Old Sistan, it has to be there in the ancient Iran era so as to deal with the depicted as embracing a very large and prosperous way Islam entered the region and then it makes use area with abundant water sources and auspicious of library research and investigates the documents to weather, all of which had turned it to the most run a reasonable deduction and perform a historical important state of Iran’s plateau. comparison to reach to an appraisal of the quality of Shi’ism entry and expansion in Sistan. 3. PRE-ISLAM SISTAN Sistan, the land of Iran’s national mythology, has an ancient history and it is one of the most important 2. SISTAN’S HISTORICAL regions in Iran. According to the text of Ferdowsi’s GEOGRAPHY Shahnameh, mythological Sistan is the birth place of heroes like Nariman, Sam, Zal and Rustam who Sistan, which was called “Sajestan” by the old Arab lived in this region at the time of Pishdadiyan authorities, is derived from the Persian word Dynasty. Garshasb Pishdadi, one of the most famous “Sagestan”. Sagestan is the name of a plain at the Iranian heroes in the national myths, has risen from periphery of Zareh Lake1 and it encompassed the Sistan. After Garshasb, Kayghobad, an offspring of lake as well as the eastern section thereof which Manuchehr, became the king and founded the included Hirmand River and the other rivers that Kiyanian Dynasty. He wrote the Sistan’s kingship discharged into Zareh Lake. Zareh Lake was bigger charter for Rustam (Afshar, 2011: 15). than this in the medieval centuries and besides Hirmand there were three other large bodies of water Based on writings bearing topics about the history of that spilled to the lake, namely Khavas River, Sistan, Garshasp and his great grand children to 1 Zareh Lake is the very Hamoon Lake. The name Zareh Lake can also been seen in Shah-Nameh Poetry Book by Ferdowsi. Faramarz, son of Rustam, have all been the followers subjugated by the Hepthalites2 but the region again of His Highness Adam (Peace be upon him)’s became a subservient to Sassanid dynasty when religion and prayed thrice a day and they did not Chosroes I dispatched his troops thereto. At the peak marry their daughters and sisters and they enjoyed time of Sassanid Dynasty’s power, the installations the benefits of an ethics-oriented society (Sistan’s of the great and strategic commanders to the history, 2010: 33). Also, other religions like important territories like Sistan, the king of which Zoroastrian, Demonism, Mithraism and Judaism were called Scythian kings, were predominantly were common in Sistan. carried out by the central government and the governorship of these lands was particularly vested Some think it likely that Turanians who are in the hands of the king’s sons who were likely to portrayed in Shahnameh by Ferdowsi as the opposite take the throne. Amongst these heirs apparent are party to the war against Iranians are the same Narseh, son of Shapur I, and Verethragna III, son of Scythians who were majorly populated in centers Verethragna II who appointed his son for the like Zabul and Kabul. In such a manner that it is said governorship of Sistan after it was recaptured and “Scythians were the tribe who resided on both banks named him the Scythian King Verethragna. During of Jeyhoun and Seyhoun but, before Christ, they late Sassanid era, due to the frailty of the kings and were forced to abandon the region due to the raids the internal conflicts in the administrative and by some clans and some set out on a journey towards military formations of the Sassanid dynasty, the the west and some others to the south, the eastern local governorship of Sistan became more powerful part of the country and passing by the city of Harat and it almost declared independence in such a they reached Hamoun Lake and occupied Zarang manner that their military and martial power in State. Scythians proved their presence in the region protecting the borders was more clearly revealing of before Achaemenid dynasty at the same time with the local governors’ political significance the Medes (WWW.Wikifiqh.ir). Also, the historical (WWW.Wikifiqh.ir) and, finally, at the time of sources mention that Kianiyans remained in their Yazdegerd III, the 400-year Sassanid kingship was own territories after admitting the Medes’ overthrown as a result of conquering of Nahavand citizenship (Bayani, 2002: 38). by the Muslims who called it the Great Victory and this paved the way for the Arabs’ entrance to Iran’s So, it can be concluded that Kiyanian government in districts, including Sistan (Afshar, 2011: 16). Pre- Sistan has been a planted one in the Medes era. Islam Sistan, at the time of ancient Iran, enjoyed a Sistan is conquered by Achaemenid dynasty at the very rich civilization and culture which dated back time of Darius and it seems that their government to the millennia BC. The most known civilization of was again a protégé to the Achaemenids the way it the region is termed the “burnt city” and it is famous was at the Medes era in a way that it is written by among the archaeologists as the ancient paradise and Herodotus that “Cyrus was a cordial friend of the there are discovered relics signifying the very rich Scythians and called them benefactors for their great civilization therein.